EQUATION FOR EATING DISORDER RISK BEHAVIORS IN FEMALE ATHLETES

ABSTRACT Introduction: It is difficult to detect athletes at risk of eating disorders. Objective: The aim of this study was to create a predictive equation for eating disorder risk behaviors (EDRB) in female athletes. Methods: 484 athletes participated in the study. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was used to assess EDRB. The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 was used to analyze the sociocultural influence on body image. The Body Shape Questionnaire and the Body Checking and Avoidance Questionnaire were used to assess body dissatisfaction in relation to thinness, and body checking, respectively. Skinfold thickness, body weight and height were also measured. The demographic data collected were age and weekly training regime. Results: The findings indicate that body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), sociocultural influence, body checking and body dissatisfaction in relation to thinness explain 23% of the EDRB variance (p = 0.001). The results showed no difference between the EAT-26 scores and the predictive equation (p = 0.27). Conclusion: It was concluded that the predictive equation is reliable for evaluating EDRB in female athletes. Level of evidence III; study case-control.

Five Influential Factors for Chinese Buddhists’ Vegetarianism

The article explores five leading factors influencing Chinese Buddhists to observe vegetarian diets. The first one is the influence from the precepts and teachings of the important Mahayana sutras on vegetarianism. The second factor is the influence of Chinese imperial authority, leading political figures who promoted Buddhism to popularize vegetarianism. The third and fourth factors are the influences of Chinese indigenous religions, which consider the contributions of Confucianism and Taoism, respectively, to the vegetarianization of Chinese Buddhists. The final one explores the sociocultural influence, including societal norms or other aspects of one’s lived environment, which can smooth the path to vegetarian eating. We then conduct an assessment to gauge the influence of each factor. By studying and comparing the gauging data, we discover that the second factor, the advocacy of the imperial authority, is the most influential factor for the vegetarianization of ordained Chinese Buddhists. Although the influence levels of Buddhist sutras and Taoism are not as strong as that of the imperial authority, their influences are higher than that of Confucianism and sociocultural influence. Finally, we present a closing remark on future efforts to promote vegetarianism worldwide.

WACANA KESETARAAN GENDER DALAM AL-QUR’AN DAN HADIS MENURUT HUSEIN MUHAMMAD

The thought of Husein Muhammad regarding the teachings of Islam in society still raises many questions in the world of Qur’anic study and Hadith, especially his thoughts on the relation between men and women known as gender equality. As a person who wrestles in the world of pesantren, this gender deviation takes place because of the perspective of societys influenced by religious doctrines, in this classical Islamic literature is considered biased toward women. The mainstream interpretation by the classical scholars is still believed by the majority of Muslim societies to this day, still placing men as superior beings against women. This perspective is clearly contrary to the ideals of the Qur’an itself, namely equality and freedom to determine life’s choices without any threat and violence or coercion from anyone. The interpretation that is considered biased towards women, caused by mistakes in interpreting religious texts, does not occur because of the inability to interpret a text, but because of the sociocultural influence on the interpreter in which they live, involved in interpreting the texts . Not only that, the taking of traditions of the Prophet as explanation and advocate of opinion of scholars sometimes not known the quality, not shahih, maudhu ‘even dai’f. Husein’s ideas are different from other Islamic feminists. The peculiarity of Husein’s ideas in carrying the discourse of Islam and gender is the depth of Islamic classical literature in analyzing or counterarging arguments against gender inequalities in societies rarely shared by other feminists. It is considered necessary to know how Husein Muhammad reinterpreted verses of the Qur’an that were considered biased against women. Though his thoughts were widely opposed by the ‘ulama, Husein has given so much to the idea of defending and liberating women from oppression.

Sociocultural Influences of Parents on Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents

The basic goal of this research was to evaluate sociocultural influence of parents on general body dissatisfaction among their adolescent children. The sample comprised (N = 228) of both male and female adolescents aged between 16-19 years. In this study, two measuring instruments were applied: Body image and body change inventory and the Perceived Sociocultural Influences on Body Image and Body Change Questionnaire. These instruments show internal consistency of high reliability, which makes them applicable to the Serbian population. According to results of the correlational analysis, there is a mild correlation between predictor variables (influence of mother and influence of father) and the criteria general body dissatisfaction. The applied hierarchical regression analysis showed that predictor variables explain 22% of the total variance of general body dissatisfaction. It was also established that variables (female gender, sociocultural influence of parents on body image and change in physical appearance) present significant predictors of overall body dissatisfaction in late adolescence. The majority of the obtained findings is in accordance with results from previous studies, and should provide directions for predicting body image and perceptive sociocultural contributions on body image, as well as designing programs of prevention regarding body dissatisfaction in adolescents of both genders.